That, and the visual images created by the News of the World’s classic reporting techniques when the story broke on Sunday morning meant I was too busy being violently ill to write about it myself. If you’re having breakfast, put the porridge down.
[Max Mosley, t]he son of infamous British wartime fascist leader Oswald Mosley is filmed romping with five hookers at a depraved NAZI-STYLE orgy in a torture dungeon.
Then, head bowed and tied up in chains, he is interrogated by a dominatrix before being chained up and LASHED so hard over a TORTURE BENCH that he WHIMPERS for mercy and has to have a wound dressing put on his backside. (News of the World)
I have commented on a couple of posts on the topic over the past week, but now the initial furore has passed, things a bit clearer to pass an objective eye over the entire fiasco - that will inevitably be suffixed “-gate”, so I’ll settle on “Spank-gate” until someone directs me to another title.
Mosley’s reactions has been very telling. As far I can tell, he’s not expressly admitted anything. But, he’s sueing the NOTW for “Breach of Privacy”. There’s no allegation of libel. Therefore, I think it’s safe in assuming that he did it.
I think that the debate in the past week can safely be divided into three camps.
First of all, there’s the “Innocent until proven guilty” camp. Fair enough, but I think it’s a bit naive given the evidence that exists. There is a video that was on the NOTW website, and I understand is still very much available around youtube etc. I don’t want to need to prick my eyes with a pin after seeing it, so can’t directly comment - but I understand it’s pretty damning.
Then there’s the “Max must go” camp. It’s a pretty large camp, with some pretty important people including Jackie Stewart, BMW & Mercedes, and a few publications. Thing is, it’s impossible not to draw a link between these publications and previous problems with Mosley. Tom Rubython has had a very torrid history with the FIA, and has written a very damning (if lengthy) comment on Mosley.
Given that there does appear to have been a “sting operation” to catch Mosley - why was Max the target? Well, the NOTW is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News International, along with the Sunday Times. The Sunday Times are presently being sued by the FIA after Martin Brundle decribed the governing body of acting in a “Witch Hunt”. Could just be a co-incidence, and like Mohamed Al-Fayed I make no accusations, but the brain can’t help draw its own conclusions.
There’s no doubt that his actions have brought the sport unwanted publicity. He could well be considered to have brought the sport into disrepute. It’s probably only a matter of time before Mad Max does indeed resign.
But, given what we know at the minute, I fall into the third camp. The “So What?” camp.
There’s too much invasion into people’s privacy at the moment. I doubt anyone doesn’t have some skeletons in the cupboard - but rarely do they impede on professional roles.
The NOTW were quick to pick up on the German / Nazi connection in Mosley’s “sex romp”. However, I don’t believe that if it had been anyone else caught in Mosley’s position, such emphasis would have been paid to it. Not that I’ve ever frequented one of these, erm, “establishments” - but surely these dominatrix scenarios draw on historical references, and I doubt German prisoner role plays are that unusual?
As far as I can see, no crime was committed. So, why should his private life have such an impact?
Thing is now, it has had an impact. And people are talking about it more than the sport. Mosley’s got to go. And whilst I’m not his biggest fan (he’s had some wacky ideas for the sport), I think it will be a shame. There’s no-one ideal to replace him, and a sudden transition of power is never good for any institution.
Civil liberties are, it seems, a dying breed in modern Britain. No longer is an Englishman’s - or anyone elses - home their castle. Now we are under surveillance by the state even when we are in our home:
No decision
